The Quadrispace developers describe this software
very well when they say that QuadriSpace Presenter 2.3 is the glue that
brings multiple file types together as one interactive 3D presentation. Though
PowerPoint has become a standard for corporate presentations, it isn't targeted
to the architectural design, construction, and mechanical design markets. If
you are in one of these fields and need to explain your projects, QuadriSpace
Presenter gives you all the presentation tools that you've been looking
for-direct support for 3D AEC and MCAD models, 2D/3D synchronized views, real-time
walkthroughs with collision detection (figure 1), interactive buttons, and more.

Quadrispace uses a page-based presentation method (figure 2). This method,
which is also used by PowerPoint, is in my opinion much easier than the timeline
or script methods favored by Director, Flash, and After Effects. In this method,
you create complete graphic pages (similar to making a poster in a paint program),
and then add your assets (3D models, bit-map pictures, and CAD drawings) to
the page by simply dragging and dropping. After you drag your assets into the
page, you quickly add interactivity by right-clicking or by

Figure 1. The Walkthrough option has collision detection that avoids walls, and lets you walk up and downstairs in real-time.

dragging and dropping from a menu of options. After you create the pages, you then create interactivity between the pages. The process is very easy and intuitive-even a computer novice can quickly learn this program. The manual is easy to read and not too technical. Five excellent tutorials help you quickly get up and running.

When you start the program, it presents a blank presentation page and Edit and Live buttons. All the available tools are located under the Edit button, and the Live button previews the actual presentation.

Pressing the Edit button brings up two tabs-Overview and Create. The Overview tab contains a navigation tree that includes all the

Figure 2. QuadriSpace Presenter gives you presentation tools for mechanical subjects as well as architecture and construction.

pages in your presentation, including their installed interactive views, shapes, and buttons. The Create tab gives you access to Views, Shapes, and Specials.

From there, you have all the tools you need to develop your presentation. Orbit lets you interactively rotate a view. Interactive Image lets you interactively zoom and pan bit-map files. The Sectional View option shows sections of buildings or objects and is linked to a 3D model. The Walkthrough option includes a digital "actor" that responds to terrain and has collision detection.

This program is tailored for those of us who need presentation not only as
a sales tool, but also as a communication tool during the design process. To
this end, QuadriSpace Presenter also has tools to create self-running
CD-ROMs and interactive Internet movies. How often have you had to explain how
your widget unfolds or what shadow your new building will cast in June as opposed
to December. With this program, your client can go to your Web site or load
a CD-ROM and interactively test the ideas.

The latest version of Presenter lets you select a custom render style for each interactive 3D view in the document (figure 3). This lets you choose from a large variety of preset styles such as sketch, watercolor, and antique. You can even customize the styles by changing properties such as line color and face colors, or selecting image filters to apply to the view.

Render Styles make it easy to use conceptual 3D models directly in Presenter
and skip the time-consuming 3D rendering process. With nonphotorealistic rendering,
modeling can be quick, easy, and inexpensive. Lighting is simple because a single
spotlight is effective. QuadriSpace Presenter also features an adjustable
sun system with location, date, and time to determine accurate real-world lighting
conditions and shadow studies. You simply import models into Presenter, choose
a time, and select from a variety of rendering styles to get the desired effect.

About the Author: AIA

About the Author: H. Edward Goldberg

In her easy-to-follow, friendly style, long-time Cadalyst contributing editor and Autodesk Technical Evangelist Lynn Allen guides you through a new feature or time-saving trick in every episode of her popular AutoCAD video tips. Subscribe to the free Cadalyst Video Picks newsletter and we'll notify you every time a new video tip is published. All exclusively from Cadalyst!